1. يا هَل علَى الطَّرفينِ مِن حاكِم

    فقَد عَدا السَّاجي عَلى السَّاجِمِ

    O, is there any arbiter over the two eyes?

    For the languid eye has assailed the weeping eye.

  2. جوَّدَ هَذا فانهَمى ذا أمِن

    بَرقِ الغَوادي بَرق ذا الصَّارِمِ

    This one excelled, so that one streamed—is it from

    the lightning of morning rainclouds that this keen sword’s flash comes?

  3. أبكاهُ واستكتمه فانظُروا

    ما أبعدَ الباكِي مِن الكاتِمِ

    He made him weep and bade him conceal it—so look:

    How far the weeper is from the concealer!

  4. حتَّى إِذا لَم يَستَطع طاعَةً

    عاقَبه بالسَّهرِ الدائِمِ

    Until, when he could not obey,

    he punished him with unceasing sleeplessness.

  5. ونامَ فاعجَب أنَّ مُستَيقِظاً

    تُخشَى عَلَيهِ سَطوةُ النائِمِ

    And he slept—marvel that someone awake

    should fear a sleeper’s assault.

  6. لمَن تَصاريفُ الهَوى فَليَقُم

    بالعَدلِ في المَظلومِ والظالِمِ

    Who commands love’s vicissitudes? Let him deal

    justly with the wronged and the wrongdoer,

  7. كَما اللَّيالي وتَصاريفها

    للدارِميِّ ابن أبي الدَّارِمِ

    just as the nights and their vicissitudes

    belong to al-Dārimī, son of Abū al-Dārim.

  8. فَليكفِ هَذا هَذِه أهلَها

    فَقَد كَفَى تِلكَ أَبو القاسِمِ

    Let this one spare their people these trials,

    for Abū al-Qāsim has already spared them those.

  9. مِن بَعدِ ما قامَ بتَقويمِها

    حتَّى استَقامَت في يدِ القائِمِ

    After he undertook to straighten them,

    until they stood straight in the hand of the one in charge.

  10. وصارَ يَستَخلِفُ من جُودِه

    فيها غَشوماً لَيسَ بِالرَّاحِمِ

    And he began appointing, from his generosity,

    a ruthless deputy over them, no merciful one.

  11. يَسمَعُ فيها القَولَ مِن صادِقٍ

    شاكٍ وَظنَّانٍ بِها واهِمِ

    He hears, concerning them, the words of a truthful

    complainant and of one whose suspicions about them are mistaken.

  12. لا يَسألُ الناسُ دَليلاً وَما

    صاحِبُ هَذا الجَورِ بِالآثِمِ

    The people ask for no proof; nor

    is the author of this injustice a sinner.

  13. قُل لِعُبَيدِ اللَّهِ مُستَرشِداً

    فالحازِمُ الآخِذُ بِالحازِمِ

    Say to ʿUbayd Allāh, seeking guidance,

    for the prudent man takes counsel from the prudent:

  14. ما لِلعُلى سَهلٌ عَلى جُودِكُم

    بناؤُها صَعبٌ عَلى الهادِمِ

    Whatever belongs to glory is easy for your bounty;

    its edifice is hard for the demolisher.

  15. وإِن رأَيتُم عَرَضاً سالِماً

    قُلتُم لِعرضٍ ليسَ بالسَّالِمِ

    And if you see worldly goods intact,

    you say of honor, ‘It is not intact.’